Rachet Rifleing?

C

carl hansen

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I have not seen or heard any info regarding the use of these barrels in competition. If you have an opinion regarding their benefits or negatives in the Long Range Arena pass them along.
 
Carl

I had one of the first Shilen Ratchet barrels in 6PPC for point blank Benchrest. It shot just like all my other barrels, i.e., better than I could. It was a joy to clean.

I haven't heard of anyone using them for Long Range but I can't imagine why they would be any different than the others. A good barrel is a good barrel is a good barrel . . .:rolleyes:

Tim North's barrels are called "canted rifleing", I think, and they have been used successfully at long range, by Tim hisself and others. I think there's a blurb over on the 6mm BR Site along with a photo of Tim. I mentioned the photo of Tim so you won't be surprised. It is kinda scary. ;) ;)

Ray
 
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Ratchet

I believe Charles Ellertson had a 6mmAI with a shilen ratchet barrel... shot pretty good.
 
The 6.5 ratchet rifle barrel shot fine. For some reason, I couldn't jam my favorite Cauterucio bullets; I got a complete ring around the bullet as they made contact with the "lands". Other Cauterucio's may work, dunno. I just went with Clinch River bullets. I do know the 142 SMKs will work. And as Ray says, like most good barrels, it shot better than I could.
 
It's only one case, so take it how you will.

A bunch of us shoot .308 Winchester at 1200 yards in barrels 30-34". One of the guys has an Obermeyer style ratchet barrel made by Border - only 30". It gets maybe 100 fps faster velocity than the rest of us with less powder.

We're hoping that it's just a freak.
 
John Kielly said:
One of the guys has an Obermeyer style ratchet barrel made by Border - only 30". It gets maybe 100 fps faster velocity than the rest of us with less powder.

We're hoping that it's just a freak.
Click to expand...
Well, the less powder part maybe. The Shilen ratchet rifle barrel I have will get higher velocities than my other barrel in the same chambering, but with a bit more powder. I believe Joel Pendergraft has found the same with a 5-R Broughton (North Manufacturing), and several others have reported this, too. If you like a cut-rifled barrel, I believe Bartlein in the States also has such a pattern.

Whether or not this extra velocity is useful will depend on your tune, of course. Mine was a tensioned barrel, and I could use it & stay in tune, but that seems to be a property of tensioned barrels when they're working properly.

FWIW
 
Ratchet Rifling, 5R, 5C

I believe you will find Broughton is 5C not 5R. Tim North once told me this was a courtesy to Boots.

Rustystud
 
Whatever you want to call it, ratchet rifling goes back to the War of the Rebellion and it's "hook-slant" Blakely Rifling - and probably even that was copied from earlier versions.

Ray
 
The reason ratchet rifling is not used more in long range is because the choice of twists is not what most long range shooters shoot. 13 twist 30's and 8 twist 6.5 is not completely ideal. Though 8 is closer for a 6.5 than 13 is for a 30, it's not ideal for the best bullets in 264/308.
 
Ray and Charles E. would you order and use one of these in future competitions?
 
Sure, I'd get another one. In fact, I have a couple other Broughton (North) 5C barrels.

My only reservation with the Shilen ratchet profile is whether or not I can use a bullet I'm fond of. I guess I got lucky with the Clinch River bullets; using the 140 flat-base I got small group of the year with the Ratchet rifled barrel a couple of years ago. Well, one tiny group is luck, but the other CR's shot fine too. Still, I didn't like giving up the Caurterico's.

For me, the 13-twist in .30 cal is interesting, just about the perfect twist for the .30-cal 187-grain BIB.

I WISH I WERE AT THE 600 YARD NATIONALS!
 
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